Sema Burney, MBA
Sema Burney
Woman of Distinction 2025
Education and learning
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Sema Burney is an expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) who has been helping organizations for over 20 years to build environments where everyone can thrive, contribute, and be fully recognized. As president and founder of Burney Conseil, she designs and delivers training programs, supports leaders, and leads strategic initiatives that foster inclusion in the workplace. Sema Burney is a builder of human and inclusive cultures. She creates spaces where experiences, realities, and identities can be heard, and where diversity becomes a force for collective transformation.
Sema has delivered more than 500 hours of training to managers, executive teams, boards of directors, and employees across both public and private sectors. She has also provided individual coaching to over 200 executives, helping them strengthen their inclusive leadership and transform their management practices.
Before founding Burney Conseil in 2010, she worked in talent acquisition, employment equity, and organizational strategy within major institutions, including the National Bank of Canada. She also taught at McGill University, where she supported MBA students in their professional development. Beyond her professional expertise, Sema is actively involved in several community and social initiatives.
She sits on the board of directors of the Centre communautaire des femmes asiatiques, contributes to international economic development as a volunteer advisor, and is a member of the board of the Terry Fox Research Institute, dedicated to advancing innovation in cancer research.
Her work is driven by a deep conviction: lasting change begins with courageous conversations, active listening, and leadership rooted in empathy.
